Quonset Point, R. I. – April 11, 1950

February 19, 2019

Quonset Point, R. I. – April 11, 1950

F8F Bearcat
U. S. Navy Photo

At about 11:40 a.m. on the morning of April 11, 1950, two aircraft were making landing approaches to Runway 16 at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station, and due to their approach angles, neither pilot saw the other. The first aircraft to land was a Beechcraft SNB-3, (Bu. No. 67100). The landing was normal, and after touchdown the pilot applied the brakes. Immediately afterward, an F8F-2 Bearcat, (Bu. No. 122639), landed directly behind the Beechcraft and overtook it, plowing into the rear of the aircraft. The Beechcraft was damaged beyond all repair, but its three-man crew was not injured. The Bearcat suffered front end damage, but the pilot was not injured.